I haven't run into too many people who used these two curricula so I'm hoping someone on here might have. Could you tell me what you liked about it and didn't like? Did it work for you? Can you suggest a better curriculum?

My goals are to introduce music theory and history. My children don't have a piano or keyboard (aside from their toy ones) so I'm not focusing on learning how to play just yet.

Wife of my best friend, Mom to two precious preschoolers, one precious newborn and one precious memory~I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way...I will walk in my house with a perfect heart. Ps. 101:2~

Violet wrote:I haven't run into too many people who used these two curricula so I'm hoping someone on here might have. Could you tell me what you liked about it and didn't like? Did it work for you? Can you suggest a better curriculum?

My goals are to introduce music theory and history. My children don't have a piano or keyboard (aside from their toy ones) so I'm not focusing on learning how to play just yet.

My daughter just finished "Music of Little Mozarts" just after she turned six years old. I have not seen "Land of Music" to be able to make a comparison for you.

My daughter began with M4LM when she just turned four years old and was the youngest student her piano teacher had ever taken, but my daughter was really motivated to learn to play the piano and she is really gifted in music. I must say that after we began the program I realized that I probably could have done much of it myself (and was as a homeschooling mom usually does) even with my limited understanding of music as it was easy nicely paced program with a cute story to help motivate children.

The CDs allow for the child to play along with the music, which is good training because most music is played together with other instruments and musicians. The downside of using the CDs only is that some of the songs are fast paced for the level they are, but it was just a few. Our piano teacher places a great deal of emphasis on duets so that is learned right from the start and she could play the songs at a slower pace. We still use the flash cards from the program too!

For what you have described as your desire with such a program, I think it does well. It focuses on a few composers and along with the CDs recognition of different instruments. It has fun activities.

The one thing I would caution is that if you do think your children are inclined to play the piano, you might want to get a nice sized keyboard and you also might want a music teacher's input even at a young age. There are little things that they might tend to do wrong with their posture and their hands that can become habit and keep them from playing correctly. (Take this from one who never took piano lessons but learned some music on her own and is now learning the finer points from her daughter.)

My daughter started with a keyboard and when we saw that she really loved it and had staying power with it, we got a piano about six months later so that her hands would strenghten. There are electronic pianos that have the same key feel as the real thing. They vary in price but it is possible to find a new one for around $600 that will do the job.

my teacher gives me theory work from a series called "The fundamentals of Piano Theory". I enjoy it because it gets right to the point. The MMTA books are also good but I hear the books are like thirty to fifty dollars a peice.

Wife of my best friend, Mom to two precious preschoolers, one precious newborn and one precious memory~I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way...I will walk in my house with a perfect heart. Ps. 101:2~